Thursday – Flowers, Water, and Dinner

On our last full day in Derbyshire, we enjoyed another perfect sunny day.  In the morning we drove about 15 miles to the small village of Lea to visit Lea Gardens.  It is noted as a wonderful venue to see rhododendrons when they are in season (March-June).  It seriously lives up to that reputation.  There are also azaleas, kalmias, and lots of trees.  The gardens were built by John Marsden-Smedley.  Skilled craftsmen from his estate used the abundant stone littering the area (originally an old quarry site dating back to Roman times) to fashion paths and verandas in the local style of dry stone walling. Soil was brought from other parts of his estate to top up beds of sand. In some cases ash was brought from the furnaces of his woolen mill to add to this topping-up process.

The garden is huge with meandering paths much like a maze.  Pictures tell the story best, so I will let them.  On completion we each had a cup of tea and split a delicious scone with clotted cream and strawberries.  (I reiterate a previous comment that clotted cream should be illegal!)

Click pics to enlarge

Rhododendron pictures need no captions

Then we drove on to Carsington Water.  Owned and managed by Severn Trent Water, Carsington Water is a large reservoir. It boasts a range of wildlife habitats from ancient hedgerows, species-rich wildflower meadows and native woodlands, to pond and scrapes, reed beds and carefully-managed islands.  Since its construction, there have been over 215 bird species over 30 mammal species recorded. There is a large visitor center on site with a restaurant, cafe and shops, including a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) shop. There are extensive outdoor activities including cycle hire, picnic areas, a climbing wall, adventure playground and sailing club.  There is also an exhibit by the water authority on reclaiming water from sewage.  (Frankly, it’s a pretty shitty subject! – literally)  We had a walk through the grounds and then enjoyed our picnic lunch at a picnic table near the water.

Then we drove off to visit another site.  We ran into a couple of road diversions and never found it, so we ended up with a leisurely afternoon home at Dovedale Lodge.  We enjoyed the obligatory five o’clock cocktails under bright sunshine on our lawn.

Dinner tonight was at Whites of Ashbourne.  It was a triumph, worthy of any restaurant we have ever been to anywhere.  We started with Chambord Kir Royales.  The wine for dinner was a Chilean Pinot Noir.  A Selection of House Breads with Beef Marrow Butters preceded Starters: (E) Twice Baked Cheese soufflé with Tomato and Coriander Dressing, Tomato Chutney, and a Parmesan Crisp; (J) Crispy Whitebait with Tartare Sauce (simple but elegant).  Mains: (E) Chicken Supreme with Jersey Royales, Chestnut Mushrooms, Local Asparagus,and Peas; (J) Lamb Rump, deliciously medium rare, with Lamb Belly, Ratatouille, Black Olive, and Potato Terrine.  Dessert: (E) A Pana Cotta Supreme; (J) Vanilla Parfait Supreme.  OMG!  France in Derbyshire.

As the vacation approaches its halfway point, tomorrow morning we will be off to Craster in Northumberland for a repeat week from last year’s trip – we enjoyed it that much.  More from there!